Device for feeding sachets onto a liner transport

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for the handover of bags ( 1 ) to a linear transport system ( 2 ). With a view to precise handover at high cycle frequency, such a device is advantageously designed in that a feed station ( 5 ) for individually feeding the bags ( 1 ) onto a lower transport belt ( 7 ) of the linear transport system ( 2 ), and a raisable press-on element ( 8 ) above the lower transport belt ( 7 ) are provided.

The invention relates to a device for the handover of bags to a lineartransport system.

The transport of bags, which for example are processed by sealing-inpouring spouts into these bags, by means of a linear transport system,is known from a patent application which also originates from theapplicant of the present application, submitted on the same date.

The bags at issue are used for packaging goods which are dischargeableor free-flowing, i.e fillable. As a rule, such bags comprise amulti-layer plastic composite material. Such bags are in particulargaining increased use as butt-ended bags because, due to their flexibleouter skin, they offer considerable advantages during transport of thefull bags and during disposal of the empty bags.

Sealing-in pouring spouts in such bags is known from the state of theart in a multitude of embodiments. Basically, for sealing-in the pouringspout, the bag may first have to be cut, then opened so as to make itpossible to insert the pouring spout into the opening in the bag,wherein after this, the pouring spout, which is then located in the bagopening, is tightly sealed to the bag by means of sealing jaws.

As a rule, the devices, known from the state of the art, for sealing-inpouring spouts in bags operate in cycles with the bags in the devicebeing transported on a circuit. Such movement on a circuit is the usualmethod because as a rule the bags are held by means of grippers, whichafter picking up and processing the bags have to be transported back totheir point of pickup.

From the above-mentioned parallel patent application, the use of alinear transport system for the bags, which transport system is formedby two transport belts, for sealing-in pouring spouts, is known.

Starting from the above-mentioned explanations, it is the object of thepresent invention to provide a device for the handover of bags to alinear transport system, which device ensures precise handover at highcycle frequency.

According to the invention, the above-derived and shown object is met inthat a feed station for individually feeding the bags onto a lowertransport belt of the linear transport system, and a raisable press-onelement above the lower transport belt are provided.

The feed station comprises systems which are known from the state of theart and which are well proven and reliable systems for singling out andfeeding in flat products; systems such as for example those made by thecompany KÖRA-Packmat.

By means of the feed station, according to the invention the singled outbags are transported at a high cycle frequency to a lower transport beltof the linear transport system. Such transport takes place while thepress-on element is raised. After completion of the feed cycle, thepress-on element is lowered onto the bag and presses said bag againstthe lower transport belt so that during the next transport movement ofthe transport belt the bag is transported into the belt gap between thetwo transport belts of the linear transport system. As a result of asimple design of the device according to the invention, high cyclefrequencies can be achieved.

It is imaginable that the raisable press-on element is realised by meansof the upper transport belt of the belt transport system. However, dueto the considerable acceleration forces acting on the transport belts,and due to the required bearing arrangement, this is problematic. Byproviding the raisable press-on element with at least one roller,sufficiently safe handover of the pressed-on bag into the belt gap isensured with a simple design. The use of a rigid press-on element isalso imaginable, wherein, due to the friction in the belt gap, whichfriction is generated between the press-on element and the lowertransport belt during the transport from the gap, damage to the surfaceof the bag cannot be excluded.

By arranging the device for the handover of bags on a table which isswivellable in relation to the linear transport system, the bags can behanded over to the linear transport system at any desired angle. Thisangle is determined by the angle at which the pouring spout is to besealed-in in the bag relative to the transport of the bag by means ofthe feed station.

In order to ensure precise positioning of the bags on the lowertransport belt, the device according to the invention should comprise alimit stop in the feed direction of the bags. Advantageously, the deviceaccording to the invention is designed in such a way that a raisablelimit stop is provided in the feed direction of the bags. The option ofraising the limit stop ensures that even at angles other than 90° anglesbetween the device according to the invention and the linear transportsystem, damage to the corner of the bag which rests against the limitstop is safely avoided. During infeed of the bags, the limit stop islowered; after completion of infeed, said limit stop is raised so as toprevent blocking the corner of the bag which rests against the limitstop, during transport.

According to a further embodiment, precise positioning of the bagsacross the feed direction is ensured in that a lowerable centring limitstop is provided which essentially operates across the feed direction ofthe bags. By means of this centring limit stop, the bags, which aretransported by the feed station onto the upper transport belt, areprecisely centred by moving the limit stop in the direction across thefeed direction between the centring limit stop and a closing limit stopwhich is arranged on the opposite side of the bags. Such centring is ofimportance for the bags in particular in view of the cycled movement ofthe transport belts and of exact positioning of the bags transported inthe transport belts, relative to the processing stations.

In order to ensure safe guidance of the bags during infeed by means ofthe feed station, below the lower transport belts and the raisablepress-on element, an upper guide element is provided which forms a feedgap with the lower transport belt. This guide element cannot be raised;it forms a feed gap with the lower transport belt, which feed gap may beadjustable but which is fixed during infeed of the bags.

Providing a lower guide sheet, at least in some sections, between theguide element and the lower transport belt ensures transportation of thebags to the desired position during infeed, at first essentially withoutcontacting the lower transport belt. This is advantageous for exactpositioning since, for transport, the surface of the transport beltsexpediently has a high sliding friction coefficient, which is howevernot helpful for exact positioning during handover. Preferably, contactbetween the bag and the transport belts is only established afterpositioning is completed, by means of the lowerable press-on element.

There are a multitude of options for designing and improving the deviceaccording to the invention for the handover of bags to a lineartransport system. In this context we refer for example not only to thesubordinate claims of claim 1, but also to the description of apreferred embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. The drawing showsthe following:

FIG. 1 a diagrammatic top view of an embodiment of a device according tothe invention for the handover of bags to a linear transport system; and

FIG. 2 a more detailed view of the handover region between the deviceaccording to the invention and the linear transport system.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of a device according to the inventionfor the handover of bags 1 to a linear transport system 2 comprises abelt conveyor 3 as a buffer for the bags 1 which are to be fed to themagazine 4 of the feed station 5. The friction belts 6 of the feedstation 5 transport the bags 1 individually to a lower transport belt 7of the linear transport system 2. This transport takes place with thepress-on element 8 raised. After a bag 1 has been transported onto thelower transport belt 7, the press-on element 8 is lowered, as a resultof which the bag 1 establishes firm contact with the lower transportbelt 7. In the embodiment shown, the press-on element 8 comprises afinal control element 9 and four press-on rollers 10 (compare FIG. 2).

As soon as the press-on element 8 presses a bag 1 against the lowertransport belt 7 of the linear transport system 2, said linear transportsystem 2 can be put into operation, as a result of which the bags 1 inthe belt gap are transported in a cycled manner to processing stations11, 12 which are shown as examples only. It is clear that the point ofbag handover and the processing stations have to be arranged in anequidistant grid in order to make possible cycled processing of the bags1.

FIG. 1 shows that the device according to the invention for the handoverof bags 1 to a linear transport system 2, with belt conveyor 3, feedstation 5 and handover region 13, is swivellably arranged in relation tothe linear transport system 2. The angle between the device according tothe invention and the linear transport system 2, which angle in FIG. 1is approximately 120° , can thus vary within a wide range.Correspondingly, the bags 1 can be handed over to the linear transportsystem 2 at various angles.

The bags 1 are transported from the feed station 5 to a raisable limitstop 14. This limit stop 14 comprises a final control element 15 and alimit stop element 16. As soon as the bags 1 are positioned on the lowertransport belt 7 and are fixed on the lower transport belt 7 by means ofthe press-on element 8, the limit stop element. 16 can be raised inorder to ensure proper transport of the bags 1.

Before the press-on element 8 is lowered, precise positioning takesplace in that the bags 1 are also centred across the feed direction bymeans of a centring limit stop 17. To this purpose, a centring limitstop element 18 is moved by a final control element 19 in the directionof a closing limit stop 20, as a result of which the bag 1 is centredbetween the centring limit stop element 18 and the closing limit stop20. By way of a further final control element 21, the centring limitstop element 18 is lowerable so that handover of a bag 1 to the lineartransport system 2 is not impeded.

Safe infeed of the bags 1 from the feed station 5 to the handover region13 is ensured by an upper guide element 22 which together with the lowertransport belt 7 forms a feed gap for the bags 1. In the embodimentshown a guide rail 23 for adjustable fixing of the limit stop 14 isprovided on the upper guide element 22, so that the position of thelimit stop 14 can be matched to various bag sizes.

Finally, between the upper guide element 22 and the lower transport belt7, at least in some sections, a lower guide sheet 24 is arranged whichas far as possible prevents the bags 1 establishing contact with thelower transport belt 7—with such contact being detrimental to precisepositioning—before the bag 1 is pressed against the lower transport belt7 by means of the press-on element 8, thus providing precisepositioning. As shown in FIG. 1, a recess 25 for the press-on element 8is provided in this lower guide sheet 24.

For further information about the function of the linear transportsystem 2, which essentially comprises the lower transport belt 7 and theupper transport belt 26, we refer to the patent application mentioned inthe introduction, which patent application has the same filing date.

1. A device for the handover of bags (1) to a linear transport system(2), wherein the linear transport system comprises an upper transportbelt and a lower transport belt, characterised in that a feed station(5) for individually feeding the bags (1) onto a lower transport belt(7) of the linear transport system (2), and a raisable press-on element(8) above the lower transport belt (7) are provided.
 2. The deviceaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the raisable press-onelement (8) comprises at least one roller (10).
 3. The device accordingto claim 1, characterised in that the device for the handover of bags(1) is arranged on a table which is swivellable in relation to thelinear transport system (2).
 4. The device according to claim 1characterised in that a raisable limit stop (14) is provided in the feeddirection of the bags (1).
 5. The device according to claim 1characterised in that a lowerable centring limit stop (17) is providedwhich essentially operates across the feed direction of the bags (1). 6.The device according to claim 1 characterised in that an upper guideelement (22) is provided which forms a feed gap with the lower transportbelt (7).
 7. The device according to claim 6, characterised in thatbetween the upper guide element (22) and the lower transport belt (7),at least in some sections, a lower guide sheet (24) is provided.
 8. Thedevice according to claim 2, characterised in that the device for thehandover of bags (1) is arranged on a table which is swivellable inrelation to the linear transport system (2).
 9. The device according toclaim 2, characterised in that a raisable limit stop (14) is provided inthe feed direction of the bags (1).
 10. The device according to claim 3,characterised in that a raisable limit stop (14) is provided in the feeddirection of the bags (1).
 11. The device according to claim 2,characterised in that a lowerable centring limit stop (17) is providedwhich essentially operates across the feed direction of the bags (1).12. The device according to claim 3, characterised in that a lowerablecentring limit stop (17) is provided which essentially operates acrossthe feed direction of the bags (1).
 13. The device according to claim 4,characterised in that a lowerable centring limit stop (17) is providedwhich essentially operates across the feed direction of the bags (1).14. The device according to claim 2, characterised in that an upperguide element (22) is provided which forms a feed gap with the lowertransport belt (7).
 15. The device according to claim 3, characterisedin that an upper guide element (22) is provided which forms a feed gapwith the lower transport belt (7).
 16. The device according to clam 4,characterised in that an upper guide element (22) is provided whichforms a feed gap with the lower transport belt (7).
 17. The deviceaccording to claim 5, characterised in that an upper guide element (22)is provided which forms a feed gap with the lower transport belt (7).